Movie Music Archives #022: “Popeye”

I’ve gone back and forth over the years on what I think about Robert Altman’s film musical version of “Popeye”. It used to be a childhood cable TV favorite of mine, but having seen it recently on DVD, I’m convinced that it sucks bigtime. The usual steam with which Altman’s work chugs along is mostly petered out here, with hardly any laugh-out-loud moments to show for the cast’s efforts. Whatever you think of the film, it’s impossible to deny the giddy feeling one gets when hearing Harry Nilsson’s original songs from it (P.T. Anderson, you could say, is the soundtrack’s biggest fan, having used the Shelley Duvall song “He Needs Me” throughout his own film “Punch-Drunk Love”.)

The LP never made the leap on the CD format, and Nilsson’s demos for the material, recorded in a drunken haze on location in Malta during the film’s shoot, have never surfaced in any official form. In many ways I prefer the soundtrack version, but the strange buried vocal mix of the final product occasionally is overshadowed by Nilsson’s heartwrenching yet off-the-cuff performances, as in the beautiful track “Din’ We.”

cast of the film - “Popeye” soundtrack LP (ZIP file)
Harry Nilsson - “Popeye” soundtrack demos (ZIP file)

24 Responses to “Movie Music Archives #022: “Popeye””

  1. Mike White Says:

    Wow. This is pretty amazing to hear after all these years. This was the first and only Altman film I saw in a theater until THE PLAYER. Whenever I would hear about the genius of Altman in Film School I could only think, “The guy that did POPEYE? There has to be another Robert Altman out there…”

  2. james Says:

    YOU FUCKING ROCK, I can’t believe that I got these songs, This movie is freakin killer, Who ever pulled this movie and posted these songs you are awesome THANK YOU hehehehehe—–

    Later, once again good one

  3. chris Says:

    you are the man, indeed! I spent all day long looking for this, and here it is!! thanks!!!
    now if I can only find the food song ;)

  4. JayBee Says:

    I found “Everything is food” here:

    http://noveltysongs.groups.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c2251d92a98fdb00d4142c9c536a47.html

    The guy took it directly ff the dvd…but the file is imbedded onto his website. Its also a .flv.

    Anyone now how to downlad it, and then convert it?

  5. jerod freitag Says:

    Holy bejeezus! I have been trying to get my hands on this soundtrack for years and years! I occasionally get a song here and there, but here it is WITH BONUSES! My mother took me to see this film like 12 times - this was a major favorite and it pissed me off something royal that I read it was a flop! This movie and the songs in it is one of the closest films to “perfect” as I can think of…. except for the whole yellow Bluto ending, let’s forget that… the costumes the actors the “you better apologize” the now brazenly stereotyped jewish character PERFECT.

    Thanks so much for offering this up!

  6. Jerod Says:

    Here I am, dorky Jerod who can’t leave it alone… it’s “you owe me an apology” not “you better apologize”… sheesh!

    Besides that little ridiculousness here’s what Chris wanted:
    http://www.divshare.com/download/860457-417

    Everything is Food!

  7. Kim Says:

    God Bless you for posting these songs. I can’t seem to get enough of this movie!

  8. Merrie Says:

    Thank you! I am a huge Harry Nillson fan & I lost all of my old vinyl in hurricane Katrina. This was the hardest thing to find. I just love the demos.

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